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(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet I.

B. W. YOUNG. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR VULOANIZING AIR TUBES FORPNEUMATIC TIRES.

No. 545,118. Patented Aug. 27

in Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. W. YOUNG. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FORVULGANIZING AIR TUBES FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES. No. 545,118. Patented Aug.27,1895.

/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

l I I H l I it LIULJUU Patented Aug. 27.1895i '(No ModeL) B. W. YOUNG.PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR VULGANIZING AIR TUBES FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES.N0. 545,118.

FR-+FIIIIHHH UUUULI UNTTED *rn'rns ERNEST XV. YOUNG, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORGAN 8E. WVRIGHT, OF SAME. PLACE.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING AIR-TUBES FOR PNEUMATIC TlRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,118, dated August27, 1895.

Application filed January 22, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Ennnsr W. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in theProcess of andApparatus for Vulcanizing Inner Elastic Air-Tubes for Pneumatic Tires,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to the vulcanization of innerelastic air-tubes for pneumatic tires in a flattened condition. Theseair-tubes, being light and thin, will flatten of their own accord; butin arranging a large number of them within a vnlcanizer, so as toeconomize in time and labor on the part of the workmen and furtherreduce expense by making one process or operation serve to vulcanize acomparatively large number of tubes, it has been customary to so disposethem that as an incident to such disposition and arrangement they aresubjected to pressure, serving to objectionably flatten theirlongitudinal side edges. As a result of such objectionable flatteningthe vulcanized tubes will have crease-lines along their longitudinaledge portions, and in use they are found to be weak along such lines andto frequently rupture at points along the same. With reference to thevulcanization of these tubes the objects of my invention are mainly torelieve the flattened tubes from pressure tending to objectionablyflatten their longitudinal edge portions during the process ofvulcanization, to permit a large number ofsaid tubes to be containedwithin a vulcanizing-chamber at one and the same time and free from theaforesaid objectionable pressure, and, further, to provide a rapid,economical, convenient and improved method of and means for producingnormally-flattened vulcanized air-tubes for pneumatic tires involvinggreater perfection than heretofore.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other desirable ends my inventionconsists in matters hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a shell orcasing in which the air-tube can be vulcanized. Fig. 2 shows, in

"g-s perspective and on a larger scale, an end portion of the casingillustrated in Fig. 1. Fig.

Serial No. 535,759. (No model.)

3 shows, in perspective, a portion of said casing and illustrates aportion of an inner elastic air-tube for a pneumatic tire arrangedtherein. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through portions of thecasing. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, the casing being, however,transversely widened, whereby the longitudinal edge portions of theair-tube are not in contact with the curved sides of the casing. Fig. 6illustrates the vulcanizing-chamber with one side removed, so as to showthe casings arranged therein. Fig. 7 is a like view showing one end ofthe vulcanizing-chamber removed, so as to show, in elevation,the ends ofthe casings.

The casing A consists of a straight, tubular sheet-metal shell which istransversely flattened, so as to provide it with a bottom a andpreferably with a flat top a. This casing is provided at points betweenits ends with ports a which are formed through the top a and coveredwith cloth or other analogous steamfiltering material, a simple andconvenient arrangement being to wrap one or more layers of cloth aboutthe casing, as at a and to secure such wrapping in place by cords orwires a. The casing is provided at its ends with ports, which are alsocovered with cloth or other analogous steam-tiltering material, andas aconvenient arrangement whereby the casing can be opened at either endfor the purpose of introducing and removing the air-tube, one or morelayers of cloth a are stretched over the ends of the casing andtemporarily held in place by removable bands 13.

The air-tubes hereinbefore referred to are made upon maudrels, as usual,and being light and thin they will flatten out of their own accord uponthe bottoms a of the casings,

after having been properly introduced within the same. These air-tubescan be readily introduced into said casings, it being only necessary toremove the band and cloth from one end of the tube, and while holdingthe latter in an inclined position introduce the air-tube by way of saidopen end of the casing. After such introduction of the air-tube thecloth can be replaced upon the end of the casing, and thereupon thewhole will be ready for the vulcanizer. The casings thus containing theair-tubes can be piled up in layers within the vulcanizing-chamber O ofa vulcanizer, as in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein the casings are arranged inlayers, with metal strips or bars D between such layers, so as to permita free circulation of live steam about the. casings. It will be seen bysaid flgu res that within a given area of the vulcanization-chainber Ican arrange a large number of these flattened tubular casings, and hencethat the process of vulcanization can be economically performed. Bytransversely flattening these casings I can obviously introduce withinthe vulcanizingchamber a greater number than I could-so introduce shouldI make them with transversely arched tops, although aside from suchconsiderations the tops a can be made either arched in cross-section orof other desired shape.

The air-tube, after being introduced within the casing, as hereinbeforedescribed, will flatten out upon the bottom a of the casing when thelatter is placed horizontally, as in Figs. 6 and 7. The space or chamberwithin the casing, while being shallow, for certain economical reasons,hereinbefore set forth, is of sufficient depth to permit the air-tube tolie without pressure upon it. In Fig. 5 the greatest transverse width ofthe space or chamber within the casing is greater than the width of theflattened tube E, which latter will fiatten out substantially as in Fig.5. With this arrangement the bent longitudinal edge portions 6 will befree from pressure and will be self-sustaining to an extent to preservein cross-section the curved form indicated in Fig. 5, or at least anapproximation to such curve. In Fig. 3 the greatest transverse width ofthe space or chamber within the casing is less than in Fig. 5 and iscontracted to an extent to permit the longitudinal edge portions of theflattened air-tube to bear and rest against. the curved sides a of thecasing. By this arrangement the longitudinal edge portions of theair-tube will be somewhat raised, as indicated, and will be supported soas to cause them to assume in cross-section the curved form shown. Thismode of raising the edge portions of the flattened tube by causing themto rest to some extent against curved side walls or abutments, which arealso in effect inclined side walls, is reliable and effective andconstitutes a matter of further and positive improvement over thearrangement of air-tube shown in Fig. 5.

lVhen the casings containing air-tubes, as hereinbefore described, arearranged within the vulcanizing-chamber and steam is let on,condensation of moisture within the casings will be avoided by reason ofthe layers of cloth over the openings on the casings, since such layerswill so retard the entrance of live steam within the casings and so takeup moisture that by the time the steam fairly enters the casings thelatter will be heated to the temperature of the surrounding body ofsteam, and thereby the condensation of moisture (which if allowed withinthe casing would wet and spoil the air-tubes) does not take place withinthe casings. The ports thus covered with cloth also form vents, whichpermit an equable distribution of steam throughout the space within eachcasing, and by employing closed casings, as illustrated, any moisturewhich at the start might collect on the under side of one casing cannotby any possibility find its way into the casing next below.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. The within described improvement inthe process of producing inner elastic airtubes for pneumatic tires,consisting in forming the tube of un vulcanized rubber; confluing itwithin a chamber formed by the inte rior of a shell or casing; causingthe confined tube to flatten of its own accord and without weight orpressure uponv it; and vulcanizing the flattened tube thus arranged andfree from superposed weight, by superficially exposing the shell orcasing within a vulcanizer and permitting the steam to have access tothe chamber within such shell or casing only by passing through steamfiltering material.

2. The within described improvement in the process of producing innerelastic airtubes for pneumatic tires, consisting in forming the tube ofunvulcanized rubber; confining it within a chamber formed by theinteriorof a shell or casing; causing the confined tube to flatten ofits own accord except along the resulting longitudinal edge portionsthereof, and upholding the latter so as to allow them to assume andmaintain a curved form in cross-section; and vulcanizing the tube thusarranged, so as to produce a normally flattened inner elastic air-tubeadapted for service in a pneumatic tire.

3. The within described improvement in the process of producing innerelastic airtubes for pneumatic tires, consisting in confining the tubesin an unvulcanized condition in chambers formed within shells or cases,flattening the confined tubes without the application of weight orpressure; piling the cases in separated layers within a vulcanizer; andvulcanizing the tubes by superficially exposing the cases to steam andpermitting the latter to enter the cases only through filteringmaterial.

4. As an improvement in apparatus for vulcanizing inner elasticair-tubes for pneumatic tires in a flattened condition, ashellor caseproviding a chamber wherein the unvulcanized tube can flatten of its ownaccord. and having ports covered with filtering material, substantiallyas described.

5. As an improvement in apparatus for vulcanizing inner elasticair-tubes for pneumatic tires in a flattened condition a shell or case Aprovided with ports covered with steam filtering material and having aflat bottom a and curved or inclined sides a, the width of the flatbottom being less than the Width of the proposed flattened air-tubewhereby the IIO tires, consisting in arranging the tubes in anunvulcanized condition, in separated layers within a vnloanizer;allowing the tubes to r 5 flatten of their own accord and during theprocess of vulcanization maintaining them free from Weight; andvuloanizing them in such flattened condition, for the purposededescribed.

ERNEST W. YOUNG. \Vitnesses:

ARTHUR F. DURAND, BETA M. TAGNER.

